Despite all the threads saying that the shaft does not need to be lengthened, mine appears to. Finally completed the body lift (Daystar 1"). Now the steering column grinds and squeaks and the steering feels very tight. I need some help please. How does one adjust the steering linkage. Thanks.

Just below the u-joint and right above the gear box (left side of shaft in picture) there is a bolt that you can take off to remove the steering shaft. You can just remove this bolt and the shaft "should" retract into the uppper part of the shaft (center part of shaft pictured, but yours shouldnt have a rubber boot around it). If it doesn't retract, then like tazme695 said, your shaft should be replaced. But if you search around the site, you may be able to find a thread explaining how you can get your shaft to telescope correctly.

I pulled away a rubber boot where the shafts meet and found a hole, but no screw. I released the upper connection, shaft to column and found some minor relief. However, I feel something in the column may have been strained during the lift while the shaft would not telescope. I'll play with it tomorrow and see what I find.

I pulled away a rubber boot where the shafts meet and found a hole, but no screw. I released the upper connection, shaft to column and found some minor relief. However, I feel something in the column may have been strained during the lift while the shaft would not telescope. I'll play with it tomorrow and see what I find.

I think you are looking for a screw where there is none. The only bolts are at the connections at the universal joints. I think you are looking at the rubber boot where the shaft telescopes. There are no screws there.

Yeah, when I mentioned the screw, I specifically meant between the lower u-joint and the end of the shaft where it mounts to the steering gear box. There should be (2) bolts: one at either end of the shaft. When you "released the upper connection" you probably unscrewed a bolt up there right?If so that is one of the (2) bolts on the shaft

Take a big chisle and drive it into the slot where the bolt went through to loosen it from the shaft. Make sure the bolts are removed. Just drive it in enough to releif the pressure do not cut up the shaft. Leave the chisle in and tap the sterring shaft with a hammer to try to get it to collapse enough to remove it. If it will not collapse at all you may need to loosen the gear box to get it off.

Something I did was took the lower pinch bolt out,then laid under the front end of the jeep. you can get a pretty good view of the bottom of the shaft from there. Then I took a hammer and a piece of pipe and hammmered the pipe against the bottom of the shaft, forcing it up and off the gear box. My steering shaft didnt telescope much if at all, but the steering 'column', which the top of the steering shaft is connected, did slide toward the cab of the jeep. So be careful with that top end cause you may have a hard time retrieving that thing if it slides up too far. Once you get to messing with it you will better understand what I am saying. And the pinch bolts have to be completely removed, not just loosened. I spent an hour trying to take the shaft off 'cause I didn't realize you had to take them all the way out.

When I loosened the top pinch bolt the column moved back to its proper location. No more bindind, grinding or odd steering. The column shaft pulled out of the pinch section about 1/8 of an inch. I tightened everything back up and all seems well. I think there is still enough contact to maintain a solid connection, but I just want to be sure. What do you all think.

When I loosened the top pinch bolt the column moved back to its proper location. No more bindind, grinding or odd steering. The column shaft pulled out of the pinch section about 1/8 of an inch. I tightened everything back up and all seems well. I think there is still enough contact to maintain a solid connection, but I just want to be sure. What do you all think.

Are you saying the steering shaft only moved on the steering column shaft 1/8"? If so this should be ok if the bolt still fits in. You must have got the steering shaft to telescope or you would still have problems. I would still take the sterring shaft apart to get it to slide right. This is a safety feature so the shaft colapses in accidents and keep the steering wheel from being forced into your chest and head.

I loosened the bolt at the top of the shaft. (above the ujoint in the left of the picture). It is the bolt that pinches the intermediate shaft to the steering column shaft (in the right of the picture). I entered the jeep and gave the steering wheel a good yank. I checked the pinch bolt. The column shaft and pinch bolt collar (attached to the shaft) separated about 1/8". So instead of the column shaft entering the pinch bolt section by 1.5", it now enters about 1.35".
The steering is now fine and the bolt tightened just fine. The bolt only serves to clamp the intermediate shaft to the steering shaft, right?